What Is KeePass?

Step 1: Open EXE file

Open the program “KeePass.exe”.

Step 2: Enable automatic update check

In order to receive regular notifications on updates, please select “enable (recommended)”.

Step 1: Create a new database

Before you can store your first passwords in KeePass, you need to create a new database by clicking on “File” -> “New...”.

Step 2: Select storage location

Select the storage location and the name of the file.

Please note: When selecting the storage location, please note that the database must only be accessible by you! Additionally, the storage location should not be the KeePass folder. This way, the database will not be deleted if you delete an older KeePass version (for more information, please refer to the section on updates).

For employees working in the administration, a special folder will be created on the network drive. If the folder has not yet been created, please contact Mr Martin Stachniss martin.stachniss@uni-mannheim.de or -3181).

Step 3: Master password

Please choose a master password.

Please note: Please note that the master password protects all your other passwords! Therefore, it should be very complex and long. It should at least have 12 characters and contain uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols and letters.

Step 1: Create key file

In order to additionally protect your database with a key file, please check the box “Show expert options:” and create a key file. This file serves as second factor to open the database. Therefore, it is indispensable that you store the key file securely. The key file must not be stored in the KeePass folder and should be stored separably from the database. In addition, you should back-up the file (e.g. on an encrypted external hard drive). Without the key file you cannot open the database with your passwords!

Step 2: Configure database settings

After confirming with “OK”, you can enter an individual database name including description in the tab “General”.

Step 3: Advanced settings

In the tab “Advanced”, you can select further settings for the master password. In order to be reminded to regularly change the master password, you can adjust the values as follows:

Step 4: Emergency Sheet

After confirming with “OK”, the database is created and you are asked if you want to print an emergency sheet. Please skip this step.

Please continue with Additional security settings .

Step 1: Configure database settings

If you do not want additional protection of a key file or you are not able to use a key file, you can enter an individual database name including description in the tab “General”, after you confirmed by clicking on “OK”.

Step 2: Advanced settings

In the tab “Advanced”, you can select further settings for the master password. In order to be reminded to regularly change the master password, you can adjust the values as follows:

Step 3: Emergency Sheet

After confirming with “OK” the database is created and you are asked if you want to print an emergency sheet. Please skip this step.

Please continue with Additional security settings .

Step 1: Open “Options”

After you have created a database, you should got to “Tools” -> “Options...” to adjust the security settings.

Step 2: Configure security settings

In order to automatically lock KeePass when you do not use it, please check the box “Lock workspace after KeePass inactivity (seconds)” in the tab “Security” and select the value 120.

In addition, you should check the box “Enter master key on secure desktop” when you scroll to the bottom of the window. In this state, Windows pauses all background processes. Potential malware, such as a keylogger which may record your keystrokes, is then blocked when you enter your master password.

Step 1: Add group

KeePass has some predefined groups where you can store your password entries.

Under “Group” -> “Add Group...” you can also create and add your own groups.

Step 2: Define group properties

Please name the group. In addition, you can change the group’s icon by clicking on it.

Step 1: “Edit Group...”

If you want to edit an existing group, please select this group. Then you can change the settings by clicking on “Group” -> “Edit Group...”.

Step 1: Select group

If you want to create a new entry, you need to select the group for the entry.

Step 2: “Add Entry...”

Then you can add a new entry by clicking on “Entry” -> “Add Entry...”.

Step 3: Define entry settings

You can then add an entry with title, user name and password. The quality bar shows you how secure your password is. The greener the bar and the higher the number of bits, the more secure your password.

Step 4: Show password

To see the password, please click on the icon with the three dots.

Step 5: Let KeePass generate a password

Besides entering the password yourself, you can also let the password generator integrated in KeePass generate a password for you. Please click on the icon with the key and the star and select “(Automatically generated passwords for new entries)”.

In the section Create your own profile for the password generator , we explain how you can create your own profile in the password generator.

Step 6: Disable auto-type

Before you save the entry by clicking on “OK”, you should uncheck the box “Enable auto-type for this entry” in the tab “Auto-Type”. This way you can avoid that you mistakenly paste the password in the wrong input field where your password is visible in plain text.

Step 1: Open password generator

To create your own profile for the creation of passwords, please open the password generator by clicking on “Tools” -> “Generate Password...”

Step 2: Custom profile

Select “Custom” at the top next to “Profile”. You can then select your preferred settings.

If you want to create a profile which fulfills the requirements of the User ID, you need to check the boxes for upper-case and lower-case numbers as well as digits. In addition, please add the following symbols under “Also include the following characters”: !@#$%()+=:;",.?/

Step 3: Save profile

Save your profile by clicking on “Save current settings as a profile”, e.g. under the name “ID requirements” and confirm your changes by clicking on “OK”. Close the window “Password Generator” by clicking on “Cancel”.

Step 4: Select your profile

Now you can use this profile to generate new passwords.

Step 1: Login on websites and applications

To login on a website or application, the relevant entry has to be selected. By clicking on the entry with the right mouse button or by clicking on the icons you can select the next step.

If a URL is added to the entry, you can open it by clicking on “URL(s)” or the globe icon.

By clicking on “Copy User Name” or the icon symbolizing a person,  you can temporarily store the user name to enter it on the website.

By clicking on “Copy Password” or the  key icon you can temporarily store the password to enter it on the website as well.

Step 1: Download new version

As soon as a new portable version for Windows is available, please download this version under https://www.heise.de/download/product/keepass-15712/download and complete the first two steps of these instructions (Download, Start KeePass).

Versions for other operating systems are available here: https://keepass.info/

Step 2: Add your former password database

You can add your former password database by clicking on “File” -> “Open” -> “Open File...”.

Step 3: Enter your master password (including key file, if applicable)

Please enter your master password. Please do also select your key file, if you have created one.

Step 4: Confirm selection

By clicking on “OK”, your former password database will be added to the new version.